The Lives of the Darcys and the Bingleys
by Mrs. Nomau
Summary: ON HIATUS! This story begins where P&P ends. Both the Darcys and the Bingleys will show up. It is not just all fancy and romance, but on occasion a tragedy comes by. Rated M for safety. If you like it, REVIEW! Chapter 4 is finally UP! No Flames!
1. Chapter 1: The Wedding

A/N: Characters belong to **Jane Austen**. Also, I owe a lot to the fantastic books written by **Marsha Altman**, because they have inspired me and gave me ideas for this fanfic.

**Chapter 1: The Wedding.**

**Longbourn.  
**The night had arrived at Longbourn for an hour or two now. Lizzy was sitting on the bed she had shared with Jane her whole life. Up until now. This was the last night she and her sister would spend as unmarried women. Their double marriage was tomorrow and she was sick with nerves. She thought of all the fun she and Jane had had in this bed. Laughing over the stupid things their young sisters would do or discuss the possibility of Mr. Bingley being in love with Jane. Lizzy and Jane had not doubted the last for quiet some time now. Jane would marry Mr. Bingley tomorrow and she would finally be Mr. Darcy's wife.

She thought back on how she had changed over the last year. _'If someone would have told me a year ago I was to be married to Mr. Darcy, I would have declared him mentally ill! But I am so very happy that I have changed my mind… In all of England there is no man to be found equal to my Darcy. He is so sweet and caring… I can not recall why I thought him proud and disagreeable. Well, I recall why I thought that, but how could I not have noticed that it is his mask? His true nature is loveable an- …' _

Her thoughts were interrupted by her sister Jane, who came into the room. "Oh, I think I will explode with happiness!", she said. Lizzy looked at her and smiled to see her face, which was glooming with happiness and joy. "You look indeed very happy, dear Jane", Lizzy answered. Jane's smile became, if possible, even more wide. "I know! I do not think I will be able to sleep tonight… I have too much feelings to have the peace to lie down." "I know how you feel… It is too much… Seeing you this happy and being also very happy myself. And knowing there is a handsome man, deeply in love with me. It seems like a fairytale, I imagine."

Jane laughed and they continued their conversation. About the life the would have, how often they would visit each other and on the children they were very likely to have. Finally, they got the peace to sleep, but the night was half over by then.

**Netherfield.  
**Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley were in one of the smoking rooms at Netherfield, silently enjoining a brandy. They sat by the fire and occasionally sipped their drinks. _'Bingley is not well. He is looking paler than normal… Surely, he has wedding-stress.'_, Darcy thought. _'I know well enough how he feels… I am about to marry the girl of my dreams. What if something goes wrong? What if she is not as in love with me as I thought? Oh, what have I gotten myself in to?'_, he thought with widened eyes.

He shook up when Bingley all of a sudden said, "I am scared, Darcy." Darcy looked at him. "I think I know how you feel, Bingley. But why are you scared?" "I am scared of many things… But what I fear the most is… Jane suddenly becoming ill… or something…" "You mean, you fear that…" Darcy took a deep breath before he continued. "…She will… Pass away… So you will not have a life together?" _'Why am I saying this? Now I am scaring both Bingley and myself!' _"Well, yes Darcy. Thank you for pointing that out in this clear manner.", Bingley said with an irritated tone in his voice. "Yes, well. I am good at pointing things out in a clear manner. What do you expect then?", Darcy said with an undertone of sadness in his voice.

Normally, he would smile over something silly as getting Bingley irritated. But not now, because he had the exact same fear as Bingley. He was so happy and so in love with Elizabeth, that he felt it was all too good to be true. That after so much joy, something bad was about to happen.

They sat in the smoking room for another hour or two, before Bingley got up. Darcy looked at him. "I think I will be off to bed, Darcy. You should do the same thing, if you want to make a bright impression tomorrow. Because…", Bingley stopped. Darcy lifted his eyebrow and said: "Yes, Bingley?" "Well… Honestly, you look like crap, Darcy.", Bingley sort of smiled while saying this. Darcy did not know if he should be laughing about this comment or that he should be angry. He decided to be natural and said to Bingley: "Well, good night then…" Darcy also stood up and left the smoking room before Bingley could say anything.

**Longbourn.  
**The whole Bennet-family was in uproar, except, of course, for Mr. Bennet, who was in his study. Lizzy and Jane where in a dressing room with each other and 5 maids, to get into their bridal gowns. It was quite a task to get a bridal gown on and Lizzy was glad she was to be married for the first and last time.

She had not eaten anything this morning, because she was afraid she would throw up at the ceremony. She suspected that Jane felt the same way, because she had been together with her the whole morning and the only thing that had touched Jane's lips was a cup of tea. They stood in the dressing room for another hour, before they looked perfect.

**Netherfield.  
**Darcy and Bingley were dressed and they had to leave in half an hour, for their wedding was to take place at a church near Longbourn. Darcy was sitting in a drawing room and looked out the window. Bingley entered the room. He did not sit down, but he kept pacing through the room. _'My God, will ruin all the carpets in this mansion if he does not stop pacing!' _Darcy thought.

Bingley was nervous in a way that everyone could notice. He would be playing with a handkerchief until he ripped it or pace through rooms until he had ruined every carpet in there.

Darcy was nervous in a silent way. He would stare out the window or sit by a fire in silence. Suddenly, a servant came in. "Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, your carriage awaits.", he said. Bingley stopped pacing and looked slightly green. Darcy stood up and walked over to Bingley. "Come on then, we can not make our soon-to-be wives wait, can we?" "No… No… We can not.", Bingley whispered. Darcy and Bingley went to the carriage and got on their way to church.

**Church near Longbourn.  
**Bingley and Darcy went into the church and walked down the aisle to their places. Jane and Lizzy were waiting in the study of the clergyman. Then, the music began to play, the sign for the brides to leave the study and walk down the aisle with their father, who had Jane on his left arm and Lizzy on his right.

When they stood next to their soon-to-be husbands, the ceremony began. _'This is it…'_, Lizzy thought, while peeking at Darcy's face. _'Oh God… I am about to marry the most beautiful girl in England!'_, Bingley thought, still slightly astonished by Jane's angelic appearance.

**Next up: **

**Chapter 2: The Wedding Night.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Wedding Night

A/N: Characters belong to **Jane Austen**. Also, I owe a lot to the fantastic books written by **Marsha Altman**, because they have inspired me and gave me ideas for this fanfic.

**Chapter 2: The Wedding Night.**

**Netherfield.  
**There was a large dinner ready when they arrived at Netherfield. Everyone gathered around the table and started eating. _'When will this be over?' _Lizzy thought._ 'I want to leave for London. I want to be alone with my husband!'_ Lizzy looked at Darcy. _'I can see he is uncomfortable… But I think only I notice it… Perhaps Bingley and Jane notice it too, but he is very good at hiding his true feelings…' _

Darcy noticed his wife was looking at him. "Are you well, Mrs. Darcy?" He saw she had been daydreaming, because her eyes brightened when he spoke. "I am sorry, Mr. Darcy. What were you saying?" "I was asking if you are well, Mrs. Darcy." "Oh yes, I am very well.", she said smiling. "I only wish this dreadful dinner was over and we could take our leave…", she whispered to him. Darcy smiled slightly at hearing his wife say this. "I wish the same…", he said, if possibly even more quiet than Elizabeth.

"Mr. Bingley?" "Yes, Mrs. Bingley?" "Shall we retire to the drawing room with our guests? I believe they will be overfed if we stay longer at this table." Bingley smiled. "Yes, I believe you are right. You are a most observant wife, Mrs. Bingley."

Mr. Bingley stood up and took Jane's arm. With this, she also stood up. "My dear ladies and gentleman. I think this is the time to retire to the drawing room. Will you join me?", Bingley said with a smile on his face. The guests mumbled in agreement. Everyone stood up and walked to the drawing room. Later that evening, Mr. & Mrs. Darcy had finally escaped from Netherfield.

**The Way to London.  
**They were in a carriage to Darcy's London townhouse. Lizzy was happy to be alone with her husband, even if it was in a carriage. _'She is so beautiful… Really, I must be dreaming…'_, Darcy thought, when he peeked at his wife. _'I am actually a little ashamed to even think this, but I can not wait until we are in our bedchambers.'_

He had put his arm around Lizzy, who was sitting next to him. She looked at him when she felt his arm touch her shoulder. "Well Mr. Darcy… I am surprised…", she said. "Why, my dear?" "Such a display of affection… By you?" He could hear by the way she said it, that she was making fun of him. He decided to play along. "If you do not like it, I will stop this instant.", he said, while removing his hand from her shoulder.

"I find this very vexing, Mr. Darcy. Surely, you would not turn your back on me during our wedding night?", Lizzy said. "Well, Mrs. Darcy. I do not know what you want from me. Would you like me to despise you or would you like me to love you?" "Hmm… Maybe a little of both, but mainly the last.", she said and laughed. At this reply, he smiled and laid his arm on her shoulder again. _'I do not know why…'_, he thought. _'…but I think I love her now more than ever…'_ Only half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a fancy London townhouse.

**Netherfield.  
**Late at night, the last guests were finally retiring to their rooms. Normally, Mr. Bingley was more than happy to be the host of Netherfield, but not tonight. _'Oh, why did my guests not realise this is my wedding night!'_, he thought, while he walked up the stairs to his room. Jane had retired an hour ago. _'What if she is sleeping? I do not wish to wake her… But I can not wait any longer to kiss her and- …'_, he blushed. _'Oh, Bingley!'_, he slapped himself in his mind. _'Do not think such things! Jane is an honourable woman.' _

When he entered his room, his bed was empty. _'Hmm… I guess she is in her own room then…'_ Bingley looked at the door that separated his room from hers. He walked up to the door. _'What if I wake her?'_ He hesitated. _'Well… I think she will forgive me for that…'_

He carefully opened the door and peeked around the corner. The room was dark and he heard the soft sound of Jane's breathing. He silently walked to the bed stand in his own room and grabbed a candle. He walked back to the door and went into Jane's room. He slowly walked up to her. When he reached the bed, he placed the candle on the bed stand and carefully sat down on the bed.

Jane was still asleep, tired of all the things that happened today. He noticed she was not under the covers and she still wore her bridal gown. Bingley sat quietly for a few minutes, watching his wife. _'…She is just so beautiful… And she looks so cute. I do not think I will have the heart to wake her up…'_

When he slowly stood up to return to his own room, Jane moved. Afraid to wake her, he did not move. Slowly, Jane opened her eyes. "…Charles?" "Yes, my love?" "Is this a dream?" Bingley was surprised. "What do you mean, Jane?" "Well… The marriage and all… Was it real? Am I really your wife now?" Jane still looked a bit sleepy. "Well… Yes… It was all real… I am sorry for waking you." Jane smiled at him. "Do not be sorry, dear husband. I hoped you would wake me, actually." "Why on earth would you hope that?", he said in amazement. "I did not want to miss our wedding night…"

Suddenly, Bingley's head turned as red as his hair and he grinned from ear to ear. Jane noticed it and laughed. "I believe you are slightly blushing, husband." "Oh, I know I am, dear Jane. It is your fault, if I may say." Jane smiled and sat up to hug her husband. "You may say that, Charles." He hugged her and then he stood up. "Where are you going?", Jane asked. "I am just going to close and lock both your and my door.", he said with a grin. Jane laughed. "You are a silly man, Charles Bingley. Just hurry up!"

In no time, Bingley was back in his wife's bedroom again. While he was locking doors, she had stood up and walked to her dresser. She was taking off her jewellery. He approached her and stood behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. Through the mirror, she looked him in the eye. "I think I love you, Charles Bingley.", she said. Bingley smiled at her and said. "I know I love you, Jane Bingley." He kissed her on the cheek and kissed her there again. And again.

He kissed down from her cheek to her neck. Jane gave a small sigh. He gently turned her around, so they were face to face. He kissed her on the lips and from there slowly made his way down her neck to her collarbone. Jane sighed again, a little louder now, and she gently grabbed his chin and brought his lips up to hers. She kissed him somewhat shyly and took off his jacket. She then started to untie his cravat while kissing. When the cravat fell to the floor, Bingley broke their kiss and slowly turned her again. He stroked her arms and he gently opened her bridal gown, which fell to the floor a minute later.

Jane pulled out the hairpin which held her hair up. Her blonde hair fell down her back until an inch above her pelvic bone. She turned around, facing her husband again and carefully removed his waistcoat. She kissed him. He stroked her back and began to muddle with her corset. She laughed while kissing, when she noticed what he was doing. When Bingley had loosened the knot in her corset, he broke the kiss and turned her again to take off her corset and petticoat. Jane was shaking a bit. Not because she was cold, but because she was now only wearing her undergarments.

Feeling a bit exposed, she covered her breasts with her arms. Bingley looked her in the eye and said softly: "Do not be ashamed, my love… You are beautiful…" She could see that he was sincere and slowly removed her hands from her chest. Bingley kissed her and stroked her from her neck down to her breasts. He broke their kiss and started to make a trail of kisses from her face to her breasts. He kissed her nipples and Jane sighed.

Bingley smiled and took her face in his hands to kiss her in a way he had never done before. He slowly opened his mouth a bit and his tongue gently licked her lips. She understood the hint and slightly opened her mouth. While kissing, she unbuttoned his shirt and stroked his chest. He slowly removed his hands from her face and lifted her up. She put her hands around his neck and kept kissing him, while he walked over to the bed. He broke their kiss when he laid her down on the bed and sat beside her.

She looked at him and took off his shirt, which she threw on the floor. He sat on the side of the bed to remove his boots. Jane hugged him from behind and he felt her bosom pressing against his back. He took one of her hands in his and started kissing it softly. With her other hand, she stroked his face.

After several minutes, Jane tried to turn Bingley around, so they would be face to face. Bingley turned and kissed Jane. While kissing, they laid themselves down on the bed. Jane blushed when she slowly lowered her hands to his pants. When he noticed it, he blushed too and broke their kiss. Jane looked at him as if she had been caught stealing cookies. He smiled and she resumed removing her husband's pants. When they were lying there, both in only their undergarments, they did not know what to do anymore. Well, they knew what to do, but not how to do it.

But Jane, who was quite turned on, finally took the first step and removed her undergarments. She then did the same with her husband's remaining clothes. Bingley stroked through her hair. "You are the most beautiful woman that will ever walk this earth." Jane got tears in her eyes. "You are so sweet…", she said, as he swept her tears away with his fingers.

He stroked her hair and face and then slowly made his way down with one of his hands. He stroked her inner thighs and then carefully 'entered' her with a finger. She moaned as he began gently moving up and down with his finger. Jane was panting a little and kissed him on the forehead. "…Ch- Charles…Do not-… T-… torment me like… Like this…", she said softly.

She felt he was shocked, because he suddenly stopped moving. "…Am I hurting you?", he said frightened. She smiled. "No… No… That is… Not it. It is… It is just so… So nice…" Bingley felt relieved. "Okay…" He took his finger out of her and carefully got on top of her. He kissed her and said softly: "…Are… Are you ready…?" Jane smiled and said: "…Yes…"

Bingley 'entered' her. He kept looking at her face, to make sure she was not in pain. Her face showed a little uneasiness and he stopped. "Are you okay, love?", he asked concerned. She nodded and her face turned red. "Yes… It is… Just a little big…" Bingley's face turned red also. "But… But you can go on…", she said and smiled. Bingley began moving and stroked her breasts. Jane moaned and wrapped her arms around him. He moved slow and careful and after a few bumps he started moving faster. Jane felt like she was exploding with pleasure.

A moment later, Bingley groaned loud as he sank down on Jane. He kissed her on her forehead and moved off of her. He was staring at the sealing and Jane placed her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and after while, he noticed she was asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes.

**Darcy's London Townhouse.  
**Lizzy stepped out of the carriage. She looked at the townhouse in amazement. Darcy stepped out of the carriage as well and looked at Lizzy. "You like it?" "…Yes, but it is quite big for a townhouse, is it not?" "Well, it is when one only spends a few weeks a year here. But remember Georgiana lives here most of the time." "Yes, that is true. We should do something about that." "About what, my dear?"

"Well… About the fact that Christmas is the only time of year Georgiana is at Pemberley. I would like to have my sister-in-law at Pemberley for the greater part of the year." Darcy smiled in an odd sort of way. Almost sad. Lizzy noticed it and took his hand in hers. "I will make sure she shall be brightening our days in no time!" Darcy smiled. _'I love my wife!'_

Suddenly, he lifted her up. Lizzy gave a scream in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. Darcy went in to the house and walked up the stairs, straight to their bedchambers. Lizzy got the tingles when she saw the door. _'…Oh God… What will happen in there? Will I be able to do my duty as a wife? What if… What if I do it all wrong?'_

Darcy did not run up the stairs. He actually walked slower with every step that took him closer to the door. _'…Okay… Come on, Darcy… You are a grown man… You are able to do this… But do what? I have no idea what to do… What is she expecting from me…? No doubt her mother has given her a slight insight on the matter. And what if she gets frightened of something and she turns her back on me? Oh… At times like these I wish I still had my father to ask for advice.'_

They had reached the door and Darcy opened it. He brought Lizzy inside and sat her down on the bed. She immediately stood up and removed her coat and bonnet just to have something to do. Darcy walked back to the door and closed it. _'Shall I lock it, just in case? Or will that give her the idea that I am holding her here?'_ He decided to take the chance and locked the door. Lizzy heard the sound and looked up. _'Should I be happy or afraid that he has locked the door? Surely, when it does all turn out to be well, it is very wise to have the door locked. That way the servants can not get in. But what if I fail as a wife and… Oh, Lizzy! Not think about that… It will not do me good to think in such a way…'_

Darcy turned around and saw Lizzy stare at him. "…Mrs. Dar- …Elizabeth?", he asked. Lizzy stopped staring and looked him in the eye. "Yes… Mr. Da-… Fitzwilliam?" She was not sure he would like it that she had used his Christian name. "…First of all… I do not like the name 'Fitzwilliam'… May I ask you to come up with another nickname for the times we are in private?" "Oh, I am sorry. Hmm… A nice nickname for my husband…"

"Oh… and I do not like 'Fitzers' either." Elizabeth drew a funny face. "Fitzers?" Darcy got a grumpy look on his face. "That is what Wickham used to call me when we were little." Elizabeth burst out in laughter. "Are you serious?" "Dead serious, Elizabeth…" "Okay… Well… What about… My Honey Bunny?" She giggled when she saw his expression. "Oh no… No. Not now, not in a million years!", he said. But when he saw her giggling and a lot more at ease then when they had entered the room, he could not be cross with her. "You have the liberty of coming up with a nickname… Use it wise, my Sunshine…"

When she heard him say that, she looked at him with a face that was glooming with happiness. "…Am I your Sunshine?", she asked him somewhat shyly. "Yes… You have been my Sunshine from the moment I first saw you. But now I can finally say it out loud and not just only in my thoughts." Elizabeth smiled broadly and almost ran in to his arms. She hugged him.

They stood there, hugging each other, for several minutes. But neither of them cared for it. If it would have been possible, they might have stood there forever. Darcy was the one to break their hug. He looked at Lizzy and kissed her. He slightly opened his mouth and licked her lips with his tongue, begging for entrance. She opened her mouth a bit and their tongues twirled around each other.

Darcy caressed her hair and slid his hand over a hairpin, which he removed and tossed on the floor. Lizzy removed the other two hairpins herself, so her hair fell down her back. While kissing, Darcy fumbled with the buttons at the back of her wedding gown. Lizzy deepened their kiss and stroked through his hair. He unbuttoned her gown, the back of Lizzy corset was showing. Lizzy broke their kiss, while Darcy gently took down her sleeves and the gown fell to the floor. Lizzy felt a little uneasy, for no one but her maid and Jane had seen her in her corset only. Darcy smiled encouraging and started fumbling with her corset. She smiled a bit. _'Well… He has to undress me for the first time anyway, so then better now than tomorrow. '_, she thought.

When he had opened her corset, he gently took it off. Now, Lizzy felt more exposed than ever before. She took up the courage to start with undressing Darcy. She took off his jacket and cravat and threw them on the floor. She then started to take off his waistcoat. Darcy laughed softly and Lizzy looked him in the eye.

He kissed her and she finished unbuttoning his waistcoat. She took it off of him and threw it on the pile of other clothing. Darcy kicked out his boots and then lifted Lizzy up. He walked over to the bed and laid her down on it. He sat beside her. She took off his shirt and threw it next to the bed. He untied his pants, but did not take them off. He tried to remove her petticoat and succeeded after a little struggle. He threw the petticoat on to the floor, in the same direction as his shirt.

She shivered with excitement and shyly looked at him. He looked at her face and then his eyes sank down to the rest of her body. He stroked her breasts with one hand, while leaning on his other hand. He started kissing her neck and then circled around her breasts with his mouth. Lizzy breath became somewhat louder, which encouraged him to go on. He licked one of her nipples and massaged her other breasts with his hand. Lizzy fumbled with his pants, trying to get it off. Darcy smiled and stopped licking her nipple.

He made a trail of kisses down her tummy and she giggled in amusement and excitement. He removed her undergarments and gently stroked her thighs. She shivered and he slowly brought one finger into her. She moaned and he carefully began to move his finger up and down. She put her nails into the mattress and he smiled when he noticed it. "Do you like it, my love?", he asked. Lizzy could not answer, but instead nodded in reply. Darcy started licking her nipples again and Lizzy felt like she would explode with pleasure in a few seconds.

Suddenly, Darcy stopped. Lizzy looked up, with a dazzled look in her eyes. He took off his pants and gently lay down on top of her. He looked her in the eye and saw only longing and approval. He 'entered' her and she gave a little cry. He stopped and looked at her. She took his head in her hand and whispered in his ear: "…Go on… Please…". He then started moving and kissed her on her mouth, cheek, forehead, chin and nose. She moaned harder and kissed him.

While kissing, Darcy's breath became heavier. Darcy broke their kiss and moved a bit faster. Lizzy put her nails now into Darcy's back, instead of the mattress. Darcy felt it, but he did not care. _'If this is her way of expressing her excitement, I could not care less that it concerns a few scratches on my back.'_, he thought.

She moaned a bit louder and Darcy groaned when he moved a little harder. Lizzy squealed hard and then a warm, heavenly feeling came over her. Darcy saw the expression of pleasure on his wife's face and after moving once more, he reached his climax. He groaned very loud and fell down on Lizzy.

She took his head in her hands and kissed him gently on his mouth. She placed his head on her chest and slowly stroked through his hair. "That was… Like going to heaven and then coming back, My Sunshine…", Darcy said, still a bit heavily breathing. "I know… It was perfect… And I have invented a nickname for you…". Darcy raised his head and looked her in the eye. "Which is…?" "My Everything…", she said and kissed him again.

He smiled and laid his head down on her chest again. They lay there for several minutes, before Darcy rolled off of Lizzy. Lizzy then turned around on to her side and lay her head down on Darcy's chest. Darcy caressed her hair. She slowly fell asleep, feeling very save in Darcy's arms.

When Darcy noticed she was sleeping in his arms, he felt very fortunate. _'I am so happy she wants to be my wife… I am so happy that she loves me for who I am, and not for my money or connections… I hope all the nights we will share in this life, will be equally blissful.'_ He thought back on all the things that had happened today and slowly fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Next up:**

Chapter 3: The Honeymoon.

**Additional ****A/N:**

1. In a review I was told a wall of text is not easy to read, so I decided to update my two chapters and re-read them for spelling.  
2. My definitely last exam is in 5 days and after that I can work on chapter three in high-speed. (I have already started a little bit.)  
Hopefully I will be blessed with boatloads of inspiration, so I can update soon.  
3. Suggestions are always welcome, though I can not guarantee that I will actually do something with it!  
4. While I know those nicknames the couples have for each other are as tacky as hell, I promise you I feel the same way,  
and will never use them again!  
5. And finally, of course: **if you like, let me know!**

Thanks :)  
**~Mrs. Nomau.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Honeymoon, Week 1

A/N: Characters belong to **Jane Austen**. Also, I owe a lot to the fantastic books written by **Marsha Altman**, because they have inspired me and gave me ideas for this fanfic.

**Chapter 3: The Honeymoon****, Week 1.**

**Netherfield, day 1.**

Jane woke up. At first, she had no idea where she was. She was lying in a strange bed and a strange room. Then she felt someone moving next to her. _'Lizzy?'_, she thought. But it wasn't Lizzy. It was her husband, Charles Bingley.

She smiled and slowly the memories of yesterday came back to her. She still felt a little tired and, after recalling what had happened the past night, she knew why. She crawled close to Bingley and laid her head down on his chest, which slowly moved up and down. She fell asleep again, feeling as happy as ever.

Charles opened his eyes. Still a bit sleepy, he looked around and saw blond, curly hair. He smiled when he noticed that Jane was sleeping so close to him. _'She is so beautiful... What have I done to deserve an angel like her in my life?'_, he thought. Jane sighed in her sleep. Charles tried to minimize his movement, so he wouldn't wake her up.

After a while of lying still and thinking, Jane started moving more. She slowly raised her head with a sleepy look on her face. Charles looked at her and smiled. "Good morning, my Angel…" Jane blushed.

"Good morning, my True Love…" Now it was Bingley's turn to blush. He kissed her. "How does it feel to wake as a married woman?", he asked. Jane smiled broadly. "It feels very good, dear husband."

The two of them stayed in bed for quite some time and decided to rise for an early lunch. When Jane called for her maid, Bingley went to his own bedchambers, so Jane would have the room to herself. When Bingley was in his chambers, he called for his manservant.

After some time, Jane was ready and her maid left the room. She didn't know what to do next. _'Should I go downstairs? Or wait here, or go to Charles's room?' _She was confused, but decided to stay in her room, to avoid weird mistakes. _'It is most save to stay here…If someone wonders why I am still in my room, I can say I do not feel well… But some awkward mistake in the hallway is not so easy to cover up… I hope Charles will come and get me…' _She sat down in a comfortable chair and reached for her book.

After an hour, Jane's attention was drawn from her book to the door, because she heard someone knock. "..Yes?" "Jane, my love? Are you well?" Jane sighed in relieve that it was Charles, and not some servant she wasn't familiar with. She stood up, walked over to the door and opened it.

Charles came in. "Are you well?", he asked very anxious. "Yes, yes, I am well..", Jane said, scared by the tone of his voice. "Oh…" Charles said in relief. "Did I scare you, dear?", Jane asked curious. "Yes… I am sorry for acting so… ehh… ridiculous…" "No, not ridiculous, dearest… But it was a little frightening…" "Sorry… I am just so scared that something will happen to you…"

Jane looked him in the eye. "Oh Charles, that is so sweet..", she said and kissed him. "But love, if you are well, then why are you still in your chambers?" Jane blushed slightly. "I-I am sorry… I was afraid to do something wrong as the mistress of Netherfield.. So I thought it best to stay in my chambers…"

Bingley smiled. "You can do anything you want, Jane. You can enter every room, except for the guest wing, of course." Jane smiled when he said this. "Yes… but I know that now.." Charles kissed her and took her arm. "My Angel, may I escort you to our guests in the dining room?" "You may, my lovely husband."

After lunch, Jane and Bingley said goodbye to their last guests. "My sisters, my brother. It was indeed very good to have you with me these last special days.", Bingley said when he walked Miss Bingley and Mr & Mrs Hurst to their carriage. "I hope you have a nice time in London, with much parties and assemblies." Jane said to her sisters-in-law. "Oh, I am sure we will have a nice time, sister. We have so much connections in London that we often have more than one place to go to at night.", Miss Bingley replied. Jane smiled at her husband when Miss Bingley said this. Bingley smiled back and said: "Well, then I shall not hold you up any longer. I hope you shall have a nice time in town and we shall write to you when we come that way." Miss Bingley and the Hursts went in to their carriage and took off. When they were out of sight, Jane and Bingley walked back to the house.

Jane and Bingley had spent their time without guests in a relaxed manner. Jane went outside for a long walk on the Netherfield grounds and Bingley finished some business, so he wouldn't have to do it during his two-week honeymoon. When they finished their pursuits, dinner was ready.

After dinner, Jane and Bingley went to the drawing room to talk and sit by the fire. "Dearest?", Jane asked. "Yes, my love?" "I am so very happy that we are by ourselves now… Not that I do not like company, but it is very nice that we are not busy all the time with entertaining our guests." "I totally agree with you, my dear… But then I am always happy when I am alone with you.", he said and smiled.

**Darcy's London**** Townhouse, day 1.**

Lizzy woke up because the sunshine hit her face. _'Why are the curtains not closed? Did both Jane and I forget it? Surely not… '_ She opened her eyes and blinked. Right next to her, Darcy was looking at her. Lizzy blushed and smiled. "Mr Darcy… May I ask why you are staring at me?" "You certainly may, Sunshine… I am staring at you because you look so adorable when you are asleep." With that reply, a mocking grin appeared on Lizzy's face. "Oh… I look adorable when I am asleep? Only when I am asleep?" "Well, not quite. You always look adorable… But when you are asleep I have the liberty of watching your adorable face as long as I can…", Darcy said, smiling.

After an hour of kissing and cuddling, Darcy got out of bed and called for his manservant. "I will go to my own room, so we can both dress.", he said. Then he kissed her and left the room. Lizzy got out of bed too, and called for her maid.

After a nice long bath, Lizzy got dressed. She was ready now, but was not quite sure what she should do next. _'At Longbourn I would go down to the drawing room… But where is the drawing room in this house? Perhaps I should go down and just start opening doors until I have the right one…'_

Lizzy was wondering around in the hallway, when her lady-maid came out of a room. She bowed and Lizzy asked to be shown to the drawing room. Her maid quickly obliged, while Lizzy tried her best to remember the way from her chambers to the drawing room.

When Darcy entered the room, Lizzy stood in the drawing room, reading in front of the bookcase. She was so drawn to her book, that she did not even notice him, until he hugged her. She smiled when he did. "Hello, my dear. I see you have found the drawing room and its bookcase." "Well, yes I did. But it is not really my own merit, though. My lady-maid showed me the drawing room. But I dare say I did discover the bookcase on my own!", she said and Darcy smiled.

After an early lunch, Darcy went to his study to see to some business. "It is better if I do this now, rather than to wait a fortnight with it.", he said and left. Lizzy went to the drawing room and asked for tea. She picked up the book in which she started earlier this day.

After some time, Lizzy heard a rumour in the hallway. She put down her book and heard someone say: "Are my brother and sister down yet?" "Yes Miss Georgiana. You will find Mrs Darcy in the drawing room and Mr Darcy is in his study, but he wishes not to be disturbed." Lizzy opened the door and went in to the hallway. "My dear Georgiana!" "Sister!" Lizzy walked over to Georgiana and hugged her. "How was your journey here?" "Oh, very good. The roads were quite dry for this time of year." Lizzy smiled and noticed a lady standing behind Georgiana. "Oh, and Mrs Annesley, of course. I am sorry I did not greet you sooner." "No matter, Mrs Darcy."

"Georgiana, would you like to change your clothes?" "Yes, that would be nice." "Well, I suggest that you will go to your room and see to it, than I will be waiting for you with tea." "Oh, lovely. I long for a cup of tea." Georgiana went upstairs, leaving Lizzy and Mrs Annesley in the hallway. "Mrs Annesley, would you join me in the drawing room for a minute?" "Certainly, Mrs Darcy."

In the drawing room, they sat down. "Mrs Annesley, I understand you are a great comfort to Georgiana." "Well, I try and do the best I can, ma'am." "But as you may understand, I would like some time alone with my new sister today, for Mr Darcy and I leave tomorrow." "Yes, of course, ma'am."

"And now I wonder if there is a friend here in London that you would like to call on for some hours?" "Well, to be quite frank with you, there is a sick friend who could use my company. But I do not have free time today, Mrs Darcy." "Oh, you should not worry. I will sort it out with Mr Darcy. Your poor, sick friend has more need for you today than Georgiana does. And be sure to pass through the kitchen on your way out and fill a nice basket of food for your friend." "Oh, that is very kind of you, Mrs Darcy. I will leave the address, in case you might need me."

Lizzy smiled and stood up. "Well, that's settled than. And give my blessings for her health to your friend." "Yes, ma'am. I shall.", Mrs Annesley said, and curtseyed.

When Georgiana entered the room, she saw Lizzy sitting down with a book. "Where is Mrs Annesley?" Lizzy looked up from her book. "She is visiting a sick friend here in London. I gave her the day off, for I am here to keep you company." Georgiana smiled. "Oh, that is very nice of you. Mrs Annesley was quite worried about her friend. How did you know that?" "I did not know that, actually. But I figured that she must have some acquaintance in town, so I asked her about it. Would you like some tea?"

They had sat comfortably for a while together, when Lizzy asked: "Georgiana, what is it like to live at Pemberley?" "Oh, have you never seen it, than?" "Yes, I did see it once… But I have, of course, no idea what it is like to live there. And you must have plenty of knowledge about it, for I am sure you live at Pemberley for the most of the year?" Georgiana looked to the ground. "Ehm.. I really do not, actually. I live in London for the greater part of the year. I stay at Pemberley around Christmas, but that is about it."

"Oh, really? And how so? Do you not like it there?" "Oh, I really do like it there.. I love being at Pemberley!" "But why live in London than?" "Well… Brother is not always home and travels a lot. He takes long visits to friends or has business matters in town. And I do not like to travel so much, so I live in London."

"You know, Georgiana, I am also not quite a traveller. And now that he is married, I do not think he will be staying with friends as much as he used to do. And as I will live at Pemberley too, perhaps you might consider living at Pemberley with us?" "I would love that! You are already very dear to me and I long to see my brother more often.", Georgiana said and smiled broadly.

Lizzy and Georgiana were chatting so passionately, that they did not even notice Darcy coming in. He stood there in the doorway and watched his wife and sister. _'I could not have chosen a better wife. She is a wonderful creature. I hope she will be able to convince Georgiana to come to Pemberley more often.' _

"Georgiana! How soon you have arrived." "Brother!", she cried and jumped up to hug him. Darcy smiled at this. When Lizzy saw it, she was even more happy she had convinced Georgiana to come to live at Pemberley.

"Has Mrs Annesley not come with you?" "Well, she has, but…", Georgiana hesitated and looked at Lizzy. Lizzy took over. "She has, but I have given her the day off, so she could visit a sick friend. But I mainly did it, so Georgiana and I would have some time to get familiar with each other.", Georgiana nodded at this and looked at her brother. "Well… I think that it was a very good idea of you, Elizabeth."

"Oh, brother, you have no idea how many good ideas Elizabeth has! She said it might be nice if I come to stay at Pemberley for the greater part of the year. Would you approve of that?" Lizzy watched Darcy's face and saw a smile on his face as she said that. "Why would I not approve? I love the idea of seeing you every day. Elizabeth, you have a lot of very good ideas, indeed.", he said.

After dinner, Lizzy retired. Her reason for this was that Darcy and Georgiana would have the chance of talking to each other, without her being in their way. But she also wanted some time to herself to think about all that had passed in the last three days.

Lizzy sat down on her bed. _'My first day as a married women is coming to an end… I hope every day ahead of me will be like this day… And tomorrow I will be on my way to Pemberley with my beloved husband. I hope the staff will like me… How would Jane be? Was her day just as happy as mine? Oh Jane! I forgot to write her. Well, I shall do so tomorrow, before we leave.'_

When Darcy entered his wife's bedroom, it was dark. _'She is already sleeping… Would she mind if I will lie down next to her? Or should I just go to my own room? …Well, I will take the chance and sleep with her.' _Darcy quickly undressed in the room next to the bedroom and softly walked in to the bedroom again.

As he lay in bed, he could hear Lizzy turning in her sleep. He thought of all the happy things that had happened today and knew his marriage would be an enormous success.

**Darcy's London**** Townhouse, day 2.**

The next morning, they got up early. After breakfast, Lizzy went to the drawing room to wait until the carriage was ready to take them to Pemberley. After she had had a cup of tea and read a chapter of her book, the door opened and Georgiana came in. "Good morning, Elizabeth!" "Good morning, Georgiana."

"I wish I could come with you and Brother to Pemberley right now." "Well, seeing the size of Pemberley, I do not think it would be a problem… But Darcy insists that I get the time to get accustomed to Pemberley as my home, without other residents. That way, I will be a more confident mistress of Pemberley when you arrive."

"Oh, okay." "But you know, Georgiana?" "What is it?" "You will arrive at Pemberley on the 19th of November, which is very soon. And when you are there, we can begin to plan our first grand Christmas feast together!" "That is right! Oh, how I am looking forward to that!" "You see? It is really not so bad to stay behind for some two weeks."

They chatted for a while, until a servant came in and announced that the carriage was ready.

**Netherfield, day 2.**

Jane woke up, because she heard a noise. She opened her eyes and saw that Bingley was standing next to their bed, busy putting on some clothes, after which he went to the door to unlock it. A servant came in and bowed. "Good morning, Mr & Mrs Bingley." "What is the meaning of this? I thought I made it clear I did not wanted to be disturbed in the morning!" "I apologize, Sir. But we have guests waiting for you downstairs." "…What time is it?" "It is a quarter before nine, Sir."

At a quarter past nine, Jane and Bingley walked to the drawing room together. When they opened the door, Mrs Bennet and Kitty Bennet were sitting on a couch.

"Hello my darling Jane! Oh, and my dear Mr Bingley too!" "Hello, mother.", Jane said and smiled. _'Oh dear… What will Charles think! My mother being here during our honeymoon is one thing, but this is not even a decent time to call on anyone!'_, Jane thought, a bit ashamed of her mother.

"Oh, I can not get over the pleasant furnishings in this room! I must have cost a fortune, Mr Bingley!" Mrs Bennet exclaimed. Jane smiled a bit awkward, as Bingley replied: "I do not really have an idea what these furnishings cost… I did not purchase them myself, you know. They belong to the estate." "Oh, well then. But they really do suite the room very much!" Mrs Bennet said and Kitty nodded with a broad smile.

After a very nice dinner and what seemed ages of Mrs Bennet's company, Mrs Bennet and Kitty left for Longbourn again.

Jane was sitting in the drawing room in front of a nice fire. She called for tea and stared at the fireplace, thinking.

Charles came in and seated himself next to Jane. "Jane, my love?" Jane looked up in surprise. "Oh, Charles! I am sorry, I did not hear you come in." Bingley smiled. "Jane, no offence, but is your mother planning on more of these delightful surprise visits?"

From the way Bingley said 'delightful', Jane could tell that he did not think it delightful at all.

"I have no idea, Charles. I think she has not yet grown accustomed to Longbourn without Lizzy and me living in it, so she visits us. And of course she wishes to keep our Meryton acquaintance informed of our happy life together." "Well, that must be the reason, yes." "Well, Charles. I think I will be off to bed right now." He smiled and said: "I think I will join you."

**Netherfield, day 3.**

Jane was fully rested when she woke up. She opened her eyes and looked around, but she did not see Bingley.

She called for her maid and got dressed, after which she went to the breakfast room. When she was almost done breakfasting, Charles came in. "Good morning, dearest. How did you sleep?" "I slept very well, though I seemed to miss someone at my side when I woke. Do you know where he was?", Jane said, smiling. "Yes, he rode about his estate.", Bingley said, after which they both laughed.

"So the weather is good?" "Yes, it is. But forgive me, Jane. I really must attend some business with my steward, so I will not have to get distracted during the further course of our honeymoon." Bingley smiled and went to his study.

After Jane had finished her breakfast, she went to the drawing room and asked a servant to fetch her a table to write a letter. She wrote a considerable letter to Lizzy and after she had it posted, she went to the study, to see if her husband was finished with his business.

The door opened and a servant announced Mrs Bingley. She walked in and Bingley and his steward stood up to greet her. "Mrs Bingley", the steward said after bowing.

"Charles, are you almost finished?" "Yes, I will only need 5 more minutes. Would you like to wait for me in the drawing room?" "Yes, I will wait there.", she said, after which she curtseyed and left the study.

Bingley entered the drawing room, where Jane was reading. "I am all yours from now on, my dear. I will have no business to attend to for the next two weeks." Jane smiled. "How nice. Now I will have you totally to myself!"

They had sat in the drawing room for some time, when Jane stood up and walked over to the window. "It seems the weather is very nice this afternoon.", she said while she looked out the window. "Yes, so it seems.", Charles said, as he walked over to Jane and kissed her on the cheek.

"Charles, I am going to take a walk about the grounds now, I think. A nice afternoon such as this should not be wasted indoors." "You are quite right, my love. Would you mind if I join you?"

After a lot of fussing over Jane from Bingley, about her clothing, which should be very warm, the Bingleys finally found there way outdoors and walked the grounds.

After a while of walking in comfortable silence, Bingley stood still, turned himself to Jane and said: "Jane, I love you so much. We are married for three days now and already I can not imagine how I made it through life before I met you." Jane smiled and blushed, but the only reply she gave was a long kiss.

When they arrived back at Netherfield again, their bodies were cold, but their hearts were glowing with warmth. After they had sat by the fire to warm themselves, dinner was announced.

Jane sat by the fire and was knitting something. Bingley walked over to her and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder at her knit work. "What are you doing, dear?" Jane looked up to him and smiled. "I am knitting little socks, Charles. I am planning to make a lot of baby clothes, so there will be enough when the time comes."

**The road to Pemberley, day 4.**

Lizzy and Darcy were in the carriage for two days now. Lizzy was not at all comfortable, for the bumping was not beneficial to her back. The only thing that kept her from protesting about it, was Darcy, who sat beside her and did the best he could to make the journey more pleasant.

"My love?" "Yes, Sunshine?" "Will we be there before long?" "Well, it is still some time. I believe we will ride for another three hours, before we arrive at the inn. And then tomorrow, we will arrive at Pemberley around four o'clock. So I think there are still nine hours of travelling to go."

Lizzy sighed. "I can not wait to see Pemberley again… Last time I saw it, I dare say I looked at it with other eyes." Darcy raised his eyebrows. "How so?" Lizzy smiled. "Back then I was falling in love with you, and while Pemberley was very pretty, the only thing on my mind was you."

Darcy smiled and counted himself lucky with such a wife. Then, he kissed her.

**Netherfield, day 4.**

Jane and Bingley were not even finished with their breakfast, when a servant came in to announce that Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet, Miss Bennet and Miss Bennet had arrived.

Upon this announcement, Jane blushed in shame. _'Again! Oh, why is mother the way she is? Oh, but this is ungrateful. I must not think like this.'_

'_Has my mother-in-law no respect for our honeymoon? It must be Mrs Bennets doing, for Mr Bennet is not as reluctant as she is when it comes to visiting. But at least I may retire with Mr Bennet to the library for some quiet reading.__'_

"Come, my dear. We must go and greet them.", Bingley said.

After an hour of decent talks, Mary Bennet stood up. "Mr Bingley, I wonder if I might use your music room for my piano practise." "Of course you may, Miss Bennet. I will show the way." Bingley turned to Mr Bennet. "Mr Bennet, I wonder if you might take the trouble of accompanying me in the library after I have showed Miss Bennet the music room?" Mr Bennet rose. "I would like that very much, Sir."

With that, Mr Bingley, Mr Bennet and Mary Bennet left the drawing room and escaped a full afternoon of Mrs Bennets chatter.

After a dinner full of praise from Mrs Bennets side, the carriage arrived and the Bennets went back to Longbourn again. Jane and Bingley sat in the drawing room with tea, enjoying the silence.

"Love? I am tired. I will go to bed, now.", Jane said, as she stood up. "Okay, dear. I will be with you in a minute.", Bingley said and he rose to kiss her.

'_Oh, I must do something about this. However much I love Jane, I can not even bare the thought of all the visits we will have from Mrs Bennet. She may be my mother-in-law, but I will not stand for her ruining our privacy!' _Bingley thought, as he walked to their bedchambers.

**Pemberley, day 5.**

The carriage drove in to the park that belonged to Pemberley and there was so much to be seen, that she had no idea where she would look. "Oh, this is beautiful! How much pleasant walks I can take here!", Lizzy said, her voice overflowing with joy.

After a rather long ride through the park, Pemberley itself came in to view. "Ooohhh! It is even more beautiful than I remember!" Darcy smiled. "Welcome home, Sunshine." Lizzy smiled and hugged her husband.

After a change of clothes, Lizzy and Darcy walked down the stairs arm in arm, to be greeted by the entire Pemberley staff in the hallway. Mrs Reynolds, the housekeeper, stepped forward and curtseyed. "Mrs Darcy. On behalf of the whole Pemberley staff, I would like to welcome you and I shall express the hope that your life here in Derbyshire will be very pleasant."

Lizzy, not yet entirely accustomed to be the mistress of a grand manor, also curtseyed and said: "I thank you all for this warm welcome. I will do my best to deserve your respect and approval."

When all the welcoming was over, Lizzy and Darcy went to sit in one of the drawing rooms. When they had sent the servant out for tea, they were alone. "And, my dear. Do you think they might like me?" Darcy grinned. "I know they do, dear. The way you thanked them, expressed your modest nature. You have made it clear that you do not fancy yourself a better person, because you are now mistress here."

After a grand dinner to welcome the newlyweds, Lizzy almost immediately retired. She was so tired of the carriage ride to Pemberley, that all she wanted was to sleep in a comfortable bed. Darcy walked with her to her bedchambers, because she had no idea where they were located.

"Good night, my love. I will go downstairs to settle some things for breakfast.", Darcy said and he kissed her passionately, before leaving her in her new room.

**Pemberley, day 6.**

Lizzy woke up in the best bed she had ever slept in. She had a lot of energy and she was excited about her first day at Pemberley.

After she was dressed, she went downstairs to the breakfast room, where Darcy was already waiting for her. "Good morning, Sunshine." "Good morning, love.", she said and walked over to kiss him.

"Lizzy, would you like to see Pemberley? I mean, the inside?" "Oh yes, I would love that. But, indeed, only the inside. However much I like being outdoors, rain is not my favourite type of weather."

As a start, Darcy walked with Lizzy to their apartments. "I know these… Why are we here?", Lizzy asked, wondering. "Well, because these are your chambers now and I want you to feel comfortable. So you have the liberty of changing anything you want."

After they had walked through Pemberley for another hour, Lizzy said: "Is it okay if I do not want to change anything?" "Of course. But if you change your mind when you are fully accustomed to living here, you only have to say it." Lizzy smiled. "Okay then." She kissed him extensively as soon as they entered an empty room.

After a long, but wonderful tour of Pemberley, Lizzy enjoined her cup of tea in the drawing room. When it was almost time for dinner, Mrs Reynolds entered the drawing room.

"Mrs Darcy?" "Mrs Reynolds.", Lizzy said, smiling. "Mrs Darcy, I wonder if you have the time to discuss some household matters with me?"

'_How nice of her, but this must be to test me. She has been the housekeeper for 24 years. Surely, she knows what she is doing!' _

"But of course! Shall we sit here or in the study?" "I think this room will do very well, if it is comfortable for you, Mrs Darcy." "Okay then. Please, be seated, Mrs Reynolds."

"I would like you to look at this weeks menu to decide whether it is to your liking or not." Lizzy took the list with menus from Mrs Reynolds and read it. "It is very much to my liking, Mrs Reynolds. The menus are more extensive then what I am used to."

"Only one last thing, Mrs Darcy." "Yes?" "Would you like to take on the responsibility as the mistress now?" "If you do not mind, Mrs Reynolds, I would like to do that when I am somewhat more familiar with Pemberley. And after the tour around the house Mr Darcy gave me today, I can do nothing but conclude that you do a marvellous job as the housekeeper." "Oh, thank you, Mrs Darcy."

As Mrs Reynolds left, she mentioned to herself that Mr Darcy had found the perfect wife, that she was happy to work for her and that she was looking forward to get to know her new mistress better.

After dinner, Lizzy went to her new study, to read Jane's letter, which had arrived earlier today.

Lizzy got a smile on her face as she read Jane's letter:

Oh, my dearest Lizzy!

Can life get any better than this?

This is my third day as Mrs Bingley and it is great!

I love Charles so much and he loves me. Oh, I hope you are just as happy as I am.

And is Pemberley all I imagine it to be? It must be very grand indeed.

I wonder what Pemberley is like, of course! And I am looking forward to see you again at Christmas.

For I must admit, even though Charles is truly the loveliest man in the world, I miss you so much. It is almost as if I miss a part of me…

I think you are laughing by now. But yet this is how I feel.

Our mother and Kitty have delighted us with a visit yesterday.

You may scarce believe that they arrived at a quarter before nine!

I was so ashamed.

But then again, our mother means well.

If I would be telling you this in person, you would say:

"I believe it at once!" And then you would burst out in laughter.

Lizzy, I hope you will write and tell me everything that is going on in your life!

Your affectionate Sister, Jane Bingley.

P.S. How odd to sign my name Jane Bingley!

Lizzy felt very happy and had laughed a great deal while reading Jane's letter. She took up pen and paper and wrote a reply to Jane.

When Lizzy finally finished her letter, she went straight to her bedchambers. _'I will post my letter in the morning… I do not think Jane will blame me for it.' _

She had not even fully opened the door when she saw it. On every table and bed stand there were candles and there was a trail of rose petals that led to the bed, which was also covered in rose petals. She knew who had made this happen, but she did not see him. "Darcy?"

There was no answer, so she decided to close the door. When she walked over to the bed, she saw a note lying on the sheets between the rose petals.

'Make yourself at home, Sunshine.', it said.

Lizzy decided to follow the advice on the note and walked over to her folding screen.

When Lizzy was busy putting on her nightgown, she heard the door open and close. She looked around the corner of the screen and saw Darcy stand by the bed in a shirt and his pants.

"Mr Darcy, were you outside the chambers with those clothes on?", she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yes, I was, Mrs Darcy. Why?" "So you, Mr Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire, the very model of tidiness, were seen by your servants in those clothes?"

Darcy smiled. _'I can not believe it, but I love her so much when she is making fun of me!' _"Yes." "Bravo! Very good. I like it."

She walked over to him. "So, how do you like my surprise, Sunshine?" She gave him a long kiss, after which she said: "How is that for an answer?"

**Netherfield, day 6.**

Jane woke up and noticed that Bingley was still asleep. While she normally would not dare to disturb her husband while he slept, she just could not hold back now. She decided to wake him. She threw herself upon him and started to cuddle him.

When Bingley felt his wife cuddling him, he smiled. "What are you doing?"

"I am loving you!"

After a long time of cuddling and some breakfast, Mrs Bennet arrived and Jane wished she had the nerve to ask her to leave.

"So, I think Elizabeth will be at Pemberley by now. I can scarce imagine what Pemberley must be like! Have you seen it, Mr Bingley?", Mrs Bennet asked. "Yes, I have visited it every summer for the past years. I must admit I have envied Darcy."

"You have, Mr Bingley? And what did the fireplace in the main drawing room cost? Because I dare say, they will have more than one drawing room!" Bingley blushed a bit and Jane joined her husband. "I have never asked Darcy that, I am sorry."

When dinner was over, Mrs Bennet finally left. There was a silence as Bingley and Jane sat in the drawing room.

After a while, Jane broke the silence. "Charles?" "Yes, my darling?" "I am sorry." "Sorry for what?" "I am sorry for having such a mother. But I do not want to be ungrateful. It is nice of her to take such an interest in our happiness, is it not?"

"Yes, it is nice of her. But she can be a bit overpowering in her company." "I know, but I do not want to say her we do not wish her company." "Dear? I might have an idea." "What is it?"

"What would you say, if we would move house?" "What? Charles! How can you think that? What reason would we have to move, except for the visits from my mother. Then I would rather just tell her. No, we shall not. I am going to bed."

Jane went to her bedchambers and left Charles sitting in the drawing room. _'Our first fight.. But this is absurd, our first fight is about her mother! We are so happy together… The only thing I can imagine us fighting over, is her mother. There has got to be a way to move away from Longbourn…'_

In her bedchambers, Jane thought about it too. _'My mother caused our first fight.. But moving is such a big step… And I do not wish to go to our house in London… Were would we go? The only parts of England I know are Hertfordshire and London… Dear God…'_ Exhausted, Jane went to sleep.

**Next u****p:**

**Chapter 4: The Honeymoon, Week 2.**

**A/N:** The titles like 'Netherfield, day 1' are to tell you where this part of the story takes place and the day shows which day of the honeymoon it is. The honeymoon goes from day 1 to day 14. Day 7 to 14 will follow soon!

And as always: **If you like, please review!**

Thanks!

~Mrs Nomau.


	4. Chapter 4: The Honeymoon, Week 2

**A/N:** Characters belong to **Jane Austen**. Also, I owe a lot to the fantastic books written by **Marsha Altman**, because they have inspired me and gave me ideas for this fanfic.

**A/N:** I am so terribly sorry that it took me a year (!) to update. I had the biggest writer's block history has ever seen! I was not even fully aware of the fact that it took me a year to finish this chapter, until just now, when I looked at the last update-date. I am almost ashamed that it took me so long, but well… It is now finally over and done with. I hate this chapter to the bone because of the writer's block, but it is worth the reading. I shall soon update Chapter 5. (And this time I will keep my word!)  
Have fun, xxx  
~Mrs Nomau.

**Chapter 4: The Honeymoon, Week 2.**

**Pemberley, day 7.**

When Darcy opened his eyes, he saw he was the only person in the room. _'Where is Lizzy?'_, he thought, as he got out of bed. _'What time is it?'_ He reached for his pocket watch, which lay on his bed stand. 'Half past eight.', it said.

Darcy was confused. Where could she be at this time of day? Maybe in the drawing room, he thought, as he put on some clothes. He went downstairs to the drawing room and opened the door to find it empty.

He asked every servant he saw if they had an idea of the whereabouts of Mrs Darcy, but no one had seen her this morning. He went to the kitchen, where he found Mrs Reynolds and Lizzy's maid.

When they noticed him, they both curtseyed and said: "Mr Darcy."

"Ladies, I can not seem to find Mrs Darcy this morning, do you know where she is?", he asked in a somewhat hurried voice. "Oh, yes. I know, Mr Darcy", the maid obliged. "She woke up just after dawn and expressed a strong wish to walk the Pemberley grounds by herself. So I.."

"By herself? Just after dawn! She does not know the Pemberley grounds yet and it is freezing cold outside! What if she gets lost? Oh, I must go and seek her!", Darcy exclaimed in horror and he quickly made his way to the stables for his horse.

He left Mrs Reynolds and the maid in surprise, from which Mrs Reynolds soon recovered and she started to giggle. "M- Mrs Reynolds..? What is so funny?", the maid asked confused.

"Oh, that foolish boy… All in an uproar over his wife strolling the grounds as if she was walking trough the middle of a battlefield!", Mrs Reynolds said, after which the maid began to giggle too.

Once he had his horse, he began to think about the next problem. _'In which direction is she walking? She has been walking for an hour and a half now, so she could be anywhere!'_

Darcy decided he would ride to the lake first. He looked everywhere and finally, he saw a black and brown spot on the other side of the lake.

'_Elizabeth!'_, he thought, as he rode there as fast as his horse could run and when he was sure it was Elizabeth, he called her name.

Lizzy was sitting on the edge of the lake, looking up at the sky and enjoying the cold air brushing her face. It had been more than 7 days since she had made her last walk. _'I was not even married, the last time I was outside. Well.. Really outside.'_, she thought and smiled.

She shook up when she heard someone scream and looked in the direction of the noise.

She was shocked to see her husband racing towards her, looking like a madman, with only half his clothes on.

"Elizabeth! Why are you sitting? Are you hurt? Did you fall? Can you walk? Oh, thank God I noticed you were not at the house! Come on, on my horse, you must be freezing! I will sent for the doctor immediately!", Darcy exclaimed, all in one breath.

Lizzy burst out in laughter. "Darcy? What is the meaning of this?", she said, when she was somewhat recovered. "The meaning of this? I thought tha- … you wer- … Wait. Why are you laughing when you are in pain?", Darcy asked rather confused.

Lizzy tried her best not to laugh. "I am laughing because you behave like a fool. I am not in pain, silly man. Who put that ridiculous idea into your head?"

Darcy's face turned red. "Uhm… Well… I think I did that myself. I- It's just-… I am.. Afraid to lose you… I just panicked when I could not find you.."

Lizzy got up and hugged Darcy. "That's so sweet, but you need not worry. I am very capable of making sure that nothing will happen to me."

When all was sorted out, they returned to the house on horseback and had breakfast.

"Sunshine, will you never scare me like that again? I do not think I can handle such panic even one more time.", Darcy said, when they were sitting in the drawing room with tea.

"If you are quite certain you cannot handle it, I promise I will never do it again. No one will be blaming me for my husband's death! No indeed, I will leave a note on your bed stand to inform you of my early-morning endeavours.", Lizzy said with a sly grin on her face.

"But dear husband, you still owe me a tour of the Pemberley grounds. And seeing that the weather is quite perfect, I suggest that we go outside after tea."

Darcy smiled at this remark. "It seems you are right. But we can not leave until you are properly dressed for this cold weather. I insist on ten layers of clothing at least! And I am not even mentioning the thickness of your coat.", he said.

Lizzy laughed. "Bravo! It seems you have learned how to be funny. But I assure you, I will wear no such thing as ten layers of clothing and a coat on top of that. Oh no, I will put on my thinnest summer dress and you will just have to live with that!", she said, after which Darcy stood up, walked over to her and kissed her.

"Oh… This is truly lovely. It is winter, but it is still very beautiful… I can scarce imagine what it will look like in the spring and summer!", Lizzy said in awe, looking around at the trees in the Pemberley grounds.

"It is always beautiful around here, Lizzy." Darcy sat down on a bench on the edge of the Pemberley woods. "I used to run away from here. With my parents gone and Georgie in town, there was nothing to keep me here. So I would rather stay with friends for months, then to be at Pemberley on my own."

Lizzy sat down next to him and took his hands in hers. "But that has changed now, has it not?" Darcy looked Lizzy in the eye and kissed her softly. "Yes… That has changed now."

After dinner, they went to the drawing room to read. While Lizzy sat by the fire with her eyes on her book, she thought about today.

'_He really opened up to me, by saying those things about running from Pemberley… I am glad he feels different now, because I would feel so alone here if Darcy would be gone so often. I understand completely why Georgiana preferred to live in London in the past… Oh, I am so happy she will live here. I hope we will be friends and maybe she will like Kitty… For she can definitively use some good influence to erase Lydia's silliness from her behaviour. When Georgiana is here, I shall ask her how she feels about that and invite Kitty somewhat earlier, perhaps.' _

She smiled, which Darcy noticed. _'She is lovely. I can not believe I was once indifferent to her. She has turned my world upside down! I live at Pemberley again, Georgiana will live here, too. She has good sense, which will help my sister, for she is too shy at the moment. How empty my life was before I met her. Before I fell in love with her…'_

When the clock hit twelve, they both shook up from their thoughts and books and decided it was time to go to bed.

**Netherfield, day 7.**

Jane woke up to find the rest of the bed empty. _'Where is Charles? Did he sleep with me or did he went to his own chambers?'_, she thought, as she got out of bed and called for her maid.

After she was dressed, she went downstairs to breakfast. She asked the first servant she saw where she could find Mr Bingley.

"I trust you will find Mr Bingley is out ma'am, riding."

'_Riding? On our honeymoon? Oh… He must be still mad at me. I am sure he is avoiding me. This is all my doing! I should just ask mama to have a little respect for our privacy. Of course she can come visit… But not every day, the whole day! I must do something.. I will say it to her when she comes next… Or perhaps I can ask papa to give mama a small hint… Oh, when will Charles be back?'_, she thought, while eating her breakfast.

She went to her chambers to sit and read, so that, when Charles would come back, he would have the choice to himself if he wanted to see her or not. _'I hope he will come and see me, because, if he doesn't, my marriage may be ended before it really began…'_, she thought. Her eyes were filled with tears and she started to weep soundlessly.

There was a knock on the door and Jane hurriedly dried her tears while asking: "Who is it?" "It's me, dear. May I come in?" _'He is here! Oh thank God. He may still love me!'_ "Yes, come in.", she said and the door opened.

"Why are you in your chambers, darling. Are you unwell?", Bingley asked, though less anxious then the last time. "No, I am not unwell…. And yet.. Yes, I am." Bingley looked confused. "Which one is it? Shall I sent for the doctor?" "No! No, I mean… I am physically well, but mentally I am not sure."

If possible, Bingley looked even more confused. "Okay… Might you be able to explain what you mean? Because I am failing to understand you." Jane took a deep breath. "Do you still love me or.." Her eyes filled with tears again. " Or is my mother separating us?"

It was silent for a while, as Bingley stared at her in a total state of confusion. "….. What..?" The tears were rolling over Jane's cheeks and not yet having had an answer, she started to cry. "Jane! What…. Why…." Charles muttered, still not understanding what this was all about.

He walked over to her and hugged her. She buried her face in his chest and he caressed her hair with one hand, using the other to put it around her waist. They stood there for some time, while Jane wept.

When she was a bit more at ease, Bingley lifted her head up and cupped her cheeks. "Lovely, beautiful Jane… Of course I love you! How could you think I stopped loving you? I can not stop loving you, even if I wanted to." Jane smiled through her tears. "R- Really?" As a reply, he kissed her long and passionately.

"I know this has to do with your mother…. But Jane… It has nothing to do with your mother whether I love you or not. I love you for you and not for your mother!"

"Oh Charles, I am so happy that everything is fine again.", Jane said, smiling. She hugged him and felt very save in his arms. "Charles, can we stand like this forever?" He smiled. "Why would you want that, dearest?" "I feel so save when I am close to you… I want to have that feeling now and forever." And as Charles took a step back to look her in the eye, she took a step forward to kiss him.

They decided to stay in bed all day and dinner was served in their bedchambers.

Late at night, Jane and Bingley were lying in bed. Jane had put her head on Charles's chest and he was playing with a strand of her hair.

"Charles?", Jane said, softly. "Yes?" "Let us not ever fight like that again, all right?" "Agreed, Jane, agreed."

**Pemberley, day 8.**

Even though they had decided to skip breakfast to sleep in, Lizzy was not at all awake when they where eating their lunch.

"And, my Sunshine. Do you have anything particular in mind for the way we spend our day?" "Well, yes… I have had some very nice thoughts about our bed, ever since we left it an hour ago.", she replied. Darcy smiled. "Well, I like the sound of that.", he said.

And so, when they had finished their lunch, they went back upstairs to stay in bed until an hour before dinner.

'_Where would Mrs Reynolds be? Maybe I should check the kitchen. If she is not there, someone else might be able to tell me where she is.',_ Lizzy thought and she walked to the kitchen, where she did find Mrs Reynolds, who was seeing to the preparations for this evenings' dinner.

"Mrs Darcy.", Mrs Reynolds said, when she noticed Lizzy entering the kitchen. "Mrs Reynolds, I have a question, would you care to join me in the drawing room?" "But of course, Mrs Darcy."

"Mrs Reynolds, I would like to know what Christmas was like before I came to Pemberley. And especially what it was like when the late Mr & Mrs Darcy were here."

"Oh, well, Mrs Darcy. In previous years it was always very festive, but there was no one to take time and effort to make it better. Miss Georgiana tried her best, but there was no one to help her. Mr Darcy seems to like Christmas very much, but he never took interest in the planning of it. But when the late Mr & Mrs Darcy ruled Pemberley, it was better than one could imagine. Every inch of the estate was decorated and the guests were entertained with various games. Dare I ask why you asked me this, Mrs Darcy?"

"Yes, Georgiana and I are planning our first Christmas together when she arrives here, so I wanted to know to what kind of Christmas she is used to."

"Very well, Mrs Darcy. I hope my information be of some kind of help to you.", Mrs Reynolds said and stood up. "If you will excuse me, Mrs Darcy." "Of course, thank you, Mrs Reynolds."

After dinner, Darcy and Lizzy went up to their chambers as soon as they could.

"I am of the opinion that we should have more days like these. The whole day together in our bed and only coming down for our meals.", Lizzy said. She sat in front of her dressing-table and looked at Darcy, who lay in their bed, through the mirror.

Darcy looked back at her. "I share that opinion, Sunshine. But I fear that it would be quite dull when we had nothing but 'bed-days'." Lizzy smiled. "Yes, I suppose you are right."

She stood up from her dressing-table and walked over to the bed. "But there is something that I do not think can be dull, even if we did it every day.", she said, as she lay down next to him.

"Really?", Darcy said with a smile. "What is that something, then?"

**Netherfield, day 8.**

When Jane and Bingley had had a nice breakfast, Jane went to her bedchamber to write a letter to Lizzy. Meanwhile, Bingley went to his study to write a letter to Darcy. After he had posted the letter, he went to Jane's bedchamber and knocked.

"Yes?" "Jane, it is me, can I come in?" Jane opened the door. "Of course, Charles."

Bingley went in and closed the door behind him. "How are you, dear?", he asked, as he walked over to her. "I am fine. But wait a second, please. I would like to finish my letter to Lizzy, so I can post it." "Of course, love." Bingley said, as he walked over to their bed and sat down on it.

When Jane had finished her letter, she walked over to the bed and sat down next to Bingley. She kissed him and they sat there for several minutes.

There was a knock on the door and Jane and Bingley broke their kiss. Jane stood up and opened the door. "Yes?" "Excuse me, Mrs Bingley, but Mrs Bennet is waiting for you in the drawing room." _'No! This is not true! Everything is well between Charles and me and then my mother shows up again.'_ "Yes, thank you. We will be down in a minute.", she said and closed the door.

"I am going to put on a somewhat more decent gown, will you wait until I am finished?" "But of course, my love." Bingley said in reply. _'I would do anything as long as I do not have to be alone with Mrs Bennet! Oh, Charles! Stop thinking such things about your mother-in-law!'_, he thought, as he once again slapped himself in his mind.

The afternoon seemed to last ages, Bingley thought. _'I cannot stand this any longer!'_ "Excuse me, Mrs Bingley, Mrs Bennet. But I must see to some business.", he said as he stood up. "I will join you again, later this afternoon." And with that, he went to his study. _'No! Not again… He has no business, because he told me himself that he had finished it all!'_, Jane thought, while Mrs Bennet chatted.

After another hour of Mrs Bennet's chattering, Jane finally made a decision. "Mother?" "Yes, my darling, what is it?"

"Well… Ehm… I was wondering if you could ehm… Well, let me put it like this… I am very happy that you take such an interest in my life as Mrs Bingley.. And I am absolutely not ungrateful, but.. I.. I.. We.. Mr Bingley and I want to spend some time by ourselves during our honeymoon… To get to now one another better…"

Jane carefully overthought what she would be saying next. "And.. Ehm.. It is difficult to do so when you enlighten us so frequently with your visits… So I wanted to ask… If you could stay at Longbourn for some 5 days… After that, our honeymoon will be over and Mr Bingley will have all kinds of matters to see to, so I will have more time to receive visitors.. You understand, mama?"

Mrs Bennet did not say anything, which was actually quite a notable event. When she regained her speech, she stood up somewhat timidly and said: "I see… Well, I shall not disturb you any longer then… I will see you when you once again have some time for your poor mama." And before Jane could stand up and say goodbye, Mrs Bennet had reached the door.

Jane immediately walked over to Bingley's study and knocked on the door. "Yes?"

"Charles.. It is me. Can I come in?" Bingley opened the door. "Hello, dear. Is something the matter?" "Well… Charles… Are you well?" "Yes, Jane.. Why would you ask that?"

"Because I know that all your business matters were settled some days ago…", Jane said, with a sad look on her face. Bingley's face turned slightly red. "Ehm… yes… But we have been over this, my dear… You know I feel your mother's company is somewhat overpowering… And… I really could not think of another reason to excuse myself, dearest. I am sorry."

"It is alright… I.. I told mother how we feel about her visits… and…" Jane's eyes started tearing. "And she left being quite upset… Oh Charles… This is exactly why I did not want to say anything!", she said, and walked over to Bingley to hug him.

Bingley comforted her and when she was a bit more at ease, he said: "Not to seem heartless, dear Jane… But she will not disturb us for a few days… And I am sure she will not be angry or hurt for a long time.." "Do you really think so, Charles?" "Yes, I do."

When Jane was convinced Bingley was right, it was time for dinner.

Later that night, Jane and Bingley were lying in their bed. "Charles?" "Yes, dear?" Bingley kissed her cheek. "I am glad I told my mother… Even though I hurt her by telling her how I felt, we can now at least be sure that we will be alone for the days to come." "Indeed, we can, my love." Bingley said, and he kissed her passionately.

**Pemberley, day 9.**

When Lizzy opened her eyes, it was dark and grey in their room. _'Oh, what a shame, it rains.'_ Lizzy thought, as she got up and peeked through the curtains out the window.

She looked around, to see Darcy still vast asleep in their bed. She grinned while an idea gained form in her head. She walked over to her dressing table and took one of her make-up pencils. She walked back to the bed and unbuttoned Darcy's shirt. She wrote something on his chest with her pencil, smiled and got dressed. Then she walked out of their room, to leave Darcy still sleeping soundly.

About an hour later, Darcy woke up, to see his bed once again empty. He looked in the direction of his bed stand, expecting to see a note lying there. Nothing. _'That's odd, Lizzy promised me to leave a note if she got up early…' _he thought.

He walked over to the mirror, to use the ewer to splash some water in his face. But he did not get the chance to do that, for he immediately saw something written on his chest. _'Okay, and what is this?_' he thought, as he angled his head, making him able to read the text.

"_My love, I am taking a walk in our extended home. You need not worry, it rains, so I will not go outside."_ It said. Darcy smiled, got dressed and went downstairs to locate his Lizzy.

He found her in the library, with tea and a book.

"Good morning, Sunshine." He said, walking over to her. "How was your walk?" She grinned. "Oh, nice enough, but I like our home better when the sun shines. It is more… more joyful with rays of light dancing on the walls."

"Indeed, it is. But I am afraid I cannot arrange for the sun to shine more, my love." "You cannot? But I imagined you capable of anything! You disappoint me, dearest." She said, smiling.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, dear, I know I have many flaws." He said grinning. "But I know one thing. I am hungry, and you must be too. So I say we go down and have some breakfast." "I am all in agreement." Lizzy said. She stood up, kissed her husband and walked out of the library, Darcy following her.

After breakfast, they had tea in the drawing room. Lizzy was sitting in a large armchair by the fire, when a maid came in. "Mrs Darcy, a letter just arrived, ma'am." Lizzy stood up and walked over to the door, where the maid stood, waiting. "Thank you." She took the letter from the maid and looked who sent it. "It is from Georgiana!"

Darcy looked up from his book. "Really? How is she?" "A little patience, dear. I have not even opened it!"

"Dear Elizabeth,

How do you like Pemberley as your home? I hope you love it just as much as I do.

I am very much looking forward to the planning of our first Christmas together! I am sure we will make it a Christmas party which no one at Pemberley shall ever forget!

Mrs Annesley will unfortunately be spending Christmas elsewhere, but she has agreed to help us with some of the party planning.

I also write to seek both your and my Brother's approval to add another guest to our Christmas party. My dear friend, Ella Fairfax (My Brother will perhaps recall her family owns Fairview Park, some three hours from Pemberley by coach.) has recently lost her mother, making her parentless, for her father died 6 years ago. She is having a hard time with the loss of her mother, so I am of the opinion that a change of scene will do her a world of good. If you and my Brother approve of this, please sent word, for than she can travel with me to Pemberley on November 15th. I am convinced you will like Ella very much, dear Sister!

Oh, how wonderful to call someone 'Sister'! I am so glad my Brother married you! You are the best Sister I could wish for! I am longing to spend more time with you, for I actually hardly know you at all, apart from our few short meetings since last July. But I can feel you are the best Sister, for you have so much experience in being a good Sister! Oh, what fun we shall have together! I just know we will.

Well, I shall leave it at this, perhaps, for I can continue to fill countless sheets of paper with how wonderful I think it to have a Sister, but I shall spare you that, for I am sure you do not want to spend your whole afternoon reading my letter! But enough now, dear Sister.

I will wait for your answer and I shall see you soon,

Yours affectionately,

Georgiana Darcy."

When Lizzy finished reading the letter aloud, she looked up to see Darcy's eyes were filled with tears. "Are you okay, dearest?" Darcy quickly dried his eyes and smiled. "I could not be better, my love." "Why the tears, then?"

Darcy stepped towards her and kissed her. "Because my lovely Sister is so fond of you already, even though she does not even know you properly, as she said. She likes you more than I ever dared to hope for. And I could see, by the way you spoke and by your expression while reading, that you care about my Sister too. And that you are also very happy you get along so well."

Lizzy smiled. "Indeed, I am very, very happy with that. She is such a lovely creature. So joyful and friendly. She sees only the best in people. She reminds me a little of Jane, you know." Darcy smiled in agreement.

"But Darcy, about Miss Fairfax. I think it is a wonderful idea of Georgiana to help her friend. And if Fairview Park is only three hours by coach, she can leave whenever she pleases." "Yes, I agree with you, Sunshine. Miss Fairfax is most welcome, of course!"

Lizzy kissed Darcy and smiled. "Well, I shall write to dear Georgiana immediately, she will be very happy with that."

Lizzy walked to her chambers and sat down behind her writing table.

"Dear Georgiana,

I was very happy to receive your lovely letter this morning! I am very much in love with Pemberley, it is perfect! I am of the same opinion as you are, the house and grounds are truly lovely.

I am very much looking forward to the planning of our first Christmas party as well! And it is a shame that Mrs Annesley is spending her Christmas elsewhere, for I like her very much. But it is very kind of her to assist us in our planning nonetheless.

You can inform Miss Fairfax that she is most welcome at Pemberley, for as long as she chooses. Both your Brother and I do not have any objection as to the company of Miss Fairfax. And if she wants, she can assist us too in the planning of our Christmas party! It is wonderful of you to help your friend with this loss. I cannot imagine what it is like, but it can never be easy, I am sure.

I am very glad you like me and think I am a good Sister, but I assure you, there will no doubt be times ahead of us when you think otherwise. I am certainly not the best Sister in the world, though I do have the great privilege to have the best Sisters(!) in the world myself!

Speaking of Sisters, that reminds me of something I have been meaning to ask you: I would like to invite my Sister Kitty earlier than the rest of our Christmas company, for I think she would benefit greatly from your influence. She is a smart girl, but my youngest Sister Lydia has let her astray and she is now a little too foolish for her own good.

I think that staying at Pemberley in the company of you, Miss Fairfax and myself, her manner shall improve greatly. I hope you are in agreement with this. Your Brother and I are very much looking forward to your arrival.

Yours affectionately,

Elizabeth Darcy.

Lizzy sealed her letter and called for a servant to post it. She walked to the drawing room to find Darcy reading by the fire. He looked up as she walked in. "Are you finished, dear?"

"Yes, I am. It has become quite a long letter. But there was so much to say and to reply to. I hope her journey is a pleasant one and that she will arrive on the 18th without delay." "I cannot agree with you more, I am always a bit apprehensive when Georgiana travels a long distance without me."

Lizzy smiled. "I am convinced all will be well, dear. She travels with both Mrs Annesley as Miss Fairfax, so if something might happen, they are smart enough to find a solution. And she has been save in the care of Mrs Annesley since you contracted her, is that not so?"

"Yes, it is… Well, let us not talk about these matters, for I get restless when I am thinking about all the things that could happen to her." Lizzy smiled. "Okay, dear." She took his hand and pulled to show she wanted him to stand up. "Mr Darcy, I believe it is 3 hours until dinner, am I correct?"

Darcy smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You certainly are correct, Mrs Darcy." "Well then, would you do me the honour of joining me in my chambers?" "I cannot object to that idea in the slightest, Mrs Darcy." He kissed her and when they broke their kiss, they had trouble not to give in to the urge to run up the stairs as a couple of kids.

**Netherfield, day 9.**

Jane and Bingley took advantage of their 'alone-time', by staying in bed the whole day. All their meals were served in their bedchambers and they did not even get dressed.

"Oh Charles, I love it. Just you and me alone here, no one to make us get out of bed… Can't all our days be like this?"

Bingley smiled and hugged her. "I think we could do this every day, if we would like, but I also think your family will not like me for that." Jane frowned. "What do you mean?", she asked, thinking he meant Mrs Bennet.

"Well, I think the Darcy's will not like it if I would keep you all to myself. Elizabeth shall soon travel here to take you from me by force, she would miss you far too much!" Jane laughed. "Do not be so absurd, Charles. She would not do that!"

"Well, I am not so sure. You remember when you were here at Netherfield, about a year ago, sick from the rain?" Jane smiled. "Yes, but what has that happy occasion to do with Lizzy?"

"She walked here, from Longbourn, to see to it that you were okay and well cared for. She goes through great lengths for you, Jane. And I am sure she would not hesitate to do so again, if I keep you in your bed all day."

Jane laughed and kissed Bingley. "All right, dear. You have convinced me. We will not be spending all our days from now on in our bed, but shall we at least enjoy the remainder of this day?" Bingley smiled and kissed Jane to answer her question.

**Pemberley, day 10.**

Darcy woke up, to find his bed empty once again. He sat up and saw Lizzy at her dressing table, putting on her necklace. "Good morning, Sunshine." He said, and Lizzy looked at him through the mirror.

"Hello dearest." She said, smiling. She stood up and walked over to the bed. "The weather is beautiful and I wish to go horseback riding, husband."

A sly grin appeared upon Darcy's face. "I am sorry Mrs Darcy, but I cannot possibly let you go without me." Lizzy smiled. "Well, Mr Darcy, I suppose I shall have to live with that burden."

Darcy smiled. "Yes, I suppose it is your destiny to have a husband who is nothing but a burden to you. Also, I insist on having breakfast before we mount our horses."

"Well, alright. But know that I do not agree to please you. Only to please my stomach." She said, smiling. He smiled too and kissed her.

They rode for quite a while and Darcy pointed out many parts of the estate where, in his childhood, something funny had happened.

"Look here, Sunshine." He said and pointed at a big oak. "When I was little, this was my play-oak." Lizzy snorted. "A play-oak?" Darcy looked a little affronted. "Yes, a play-oak. My father had had some ropes installed, so Wickham and I could play here. And later, when Georgiana was old enough, he had a swing installed, so she could be a part of our games." "Wonderful… But where are all these ropes, then?" Lizzy asked, wondering.

Darcy blushed. "Well… I… After the whole… You know, _'Wickham-incident'_… I wanted to get rid of everything that reminded me of that scoundrel… So I had them removed."

"That is a pity, my dear. But I can see why you did it. I only hope that Wickham will not spoil the pleasure of having a play-oak for our children?" she asked, smiling.

Darcy grasped her hand, because he was not able to kiss her while on horseback. "Indeed, he will not. As soon as we have the pleasure of having children, I will have the ropes and swing installed immediately!" Lizzy laughed. "I am glad to hear it, dearest."

They rode on and about an hour later, Darcy stopped and got off his horse. Lizzy did the same and asked: "Why are we stopping, dear?" "Because I am quite hungry and I brought a picnic." Lizzy smiled. "What a wonderful idea, Darcy! I must say some food sounds quite agreeable."

"Dearest?" "Yes?" "What was your childhood like?" Lizzy smirked. "You mean 'Did you have your own play-oak?' I must disappoint you, we had no such thing in our yard." Darcy smiled, but his expression stayed serious. "You know what I mean, Sunshine."

Lizzy frowned a little. "Well, it was quite pleasant. We would play in the yard or pick flowers from the garden. And we had a swing, just like Georgiana." She said, smiling over the fond memories.

"My mother was not as nervous then as she is now. And my father would play with us every once in a while. We would play hide and seek… I remember one time, when Jane and I hid together, we were so convinced that Pappa would not be able to find us and we giggled so loud in our cleverness, that Pappa found us in no time."

Lizzy smiled somewhat sad now. "You know, I miss my mother as she used to be when we were little. She was not at all like she is now. She was sweet, calm and reasonable… I think the pressure of having so many daughters to safely marry off, in so little time, made her a nervous creature. I hope her old self comes back when Mary and Kitty are married as well."

Darcy smiled and kissed her gently. "I will hope it as well, dear. However, and I am sorry to say it, I do not think she can become any worse." Lizzy looked a bit shocked. "Darcy! That is my mother of whom we are speaking!" "I know that, hence the comment." He said, knowing she was not seriously affronted.

After their lunch stop, they rode on, but when clouds started to gather above them, they decided it was time to go back to Pemberley.

The rain drummed against the windows when Lizzy and Darcy were lying in their bed. Lizzy sat with her head on top of Darcy's chest and he slowly stroked her hair.

"I love the grounds of Pemberley, dear." Lizzy said, smiling. "They give me so much comfort. I dare say they are equally as fine as the woods near Longbourn, perhaps even better."

"I am very pleased to hear that, Sunshine. I want you to be happy here and I know how fond you are of walking!" he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Remember Netherfield, when Jane was ill?" "Of course I remember! I dare say you thought me quite silly at the time." "Yes, I think I did. But I also secretly admired your stubbornness to see to your sister's health." She smiled when he said this and kissed him.

**Netherfield, day 10.**

When Jane and Bingley were having breakfast, a pleasant surprise awaited Jane. "Mrs Bingley, a letter arrived for you this morning." Jane smiled. "Oh, thank you."

She opened it. "It is from Lizzy, dear!" Bingley smiled. "Anything new?" "Wait, I will read it aloud." Jane said, smiling.

"Dear Mrs Bingley (!)

I know what you mean! I find it also odd to sign my name 'Darcy' now!

Oh, I really cannot wait to see you at Christmas and I cannot wait to show you Pemberley.

It is beautiful! Only this morning, my dear husband gave me a tour of the interior of Pemberley. It is all so grand and beautiful.

And I am happy to inform you that the staff is very kind and obliging to me.

I must say, if only you were here, dearest Jane, I would feel at home right away.

But please, do not think that I am an ungrateful creature!

My husband is the best and kindest man in all the world (except for your Mr Bingley, maybe!) and everyone is very nice to me. But I do not feel at home here.

Well, not yet, I must say! Mr Darcy has made it clear to me that he will go through great lengths to make me feel at home here!

And I dare say, please do not hate me for it, I look forward to Georgiana's arrival in 2 weeks. Oh, I have not told you! Georgiana will live at Pemberley again! It is a very comforting thought to know that I will soon have her company.

And I will see you again at Christmas. Why is Christmas not sooner, dearest Jane? I long to see you and share my happy life with you. I wish Netherfield lay closer to Pemberley, close enough for an afternoon tea call, for instance. But I sound so ungrateful, please do not blame me for it.

Dearest Jane, I hope you are equally as happy as I am! Though I think it would be quite hard to be as happy as I am! I adore you and I will see you soon, but for now I remain,

Your affectionate Sister,

Elizabeth Darcy.

P.S. Oh, I just had the most wonderful idea! I hope that it is convenient, but you must come somewhat earlier than the other Christmas-guests. I hope this will suite both your and Mr Bingleys plans, but why not come to Pemberley around the 7th of December! I hope you can, dear Jane. I will hear it in your next letter."

Jane smiled and Bingley looked at her. "Dear, I could not help but notice that you agree with your sister."

She looked at him, wondering. "What do you mean, Charles?" "Well, I could see from your expression that you miss Lizzy too, even though you are happy here."

Jane smiled a little sad. "Yes, I confess I am. I love you, dear, but I miss my confidante, so to speak." "Well, in that case, I think we should do it." Bingley said, smiling.

"Do what, dear?" "Travel to Pemberley earlier than the others." Jane smiled broadly. "Really?" Bingley smiled. "Yes, of course! Everything to see you truly and utterly happy!" Jane laughed in joy and ran over to him to hug him.

"I will write to Lizzy immediately!" she said, and left the breakfast table without finishing her toast. Bingley smiled at her enthusiasm and joy and finished his coffee.

Later, when they were in the drawing room by the fire, Jane looked at Bingley and said: "You and Mr Darcy are very close friends too, is it not?" Charles looked up. "Yes, we are. He is the best and most loyal friend I will ever have."

"How did you meet Mr Darcy?" Jane asked. "Well, we both studied at Cambridge, although Darcy was a few years above me. I met him at an assembly of his fencing club, to which I was invited by a friend. I do not exactly know why, but Darcy liked me and at one point he even helped me with Latin, which is not my forte, to say the least."

Jane smiled at this. "So you got to know him and he got to know you and you stayed friends?" Bingley smiled. "Yes, that is what happened. Darcy is a very valuable friend, he is very faithful. He goes through great lengths to see to his friends' welfare."

Jane smiled and got up off her chair to kiss Bingley. "I am sure he values your friendship as must as you value his."

**Pemberley, day 11. **

Lizzy was having a cup of tea in the library when a maid came in. "Excuse me, Mrs Darcy, but a letter just arrived for you." Lizzy got up from her chair and walked over to the maid to take the letter.

She looked at the back of the letter for the sender and smiled. "Thank you, will you please be so kind as to call Mr Darcy for me?" The maid curtseyed. "Yes, ma'am, I will."

Lizzy went back to her chair and opened Charlotte's letter. She read it through and just as she finished the last sentence, Darcy came in. "Sunshine, is anything the matter?" Lizzy smiled. "No, do not worry, I am all well. I just received a letter from Charlotte. And you will never guess what she writes!"

Darcy thought and came to the conclusion he had no idea. "I am sorry to disappoint you, dear, but I do not have a great insight in female news." Lizzy grinned at this remark.

"Well, I will just read her letter to you, and then you must know of what it is I am speaking."

"Dearest Lizzy, or shall I write 'Dear Mrs Darcy'?

I am so very sorry that I had to miss your wedding as well as Janes'.

But Lady Catherine would be upset if we had gone and you know how much my husband has set his heart on the happiness of her Ladyship.

I would have very much liked it to see you so happy. And I would have loved to see your reaction upon our meeting! My posture is somewhat different since last April! I think you have already guessed by now, so I will not withhold the details any longer.

I am likely to confine in 3 months! I am a bit anxious, but her Ladyship is very obliging in the giving of information about this sort of thing. I think you can imagine what I mean.

My husband has, of course, set all his hope on a little heir, but Lady Catherine says I am likely to have a girl. I had all my hopes set on you as a godmother, but my husband will not hear a word of it. Of course, Lady Catherine should get the honour. So I can only hope for another child, because I will have my way eventually!

Furthermore, this also robbed us of an opportunity to see each other at Christmas, for I am unfit to travel, as you may understand. And I have no hopes of seeing you at Rosings soon, for Lady Catherine would sooner stop talking than have you here!

Well, in any case, I may be able to travel with my little one in the summer. So maybe we can arrange something then? I will hear from you soon, you must tell me what Pemberley is like and how degraded it has become since you polluted the grounds and house!

I long for some news which is not about Mrs Webb and her lovely daughters or some other acquaintance of Lady Catherine!

Dearest Lizzy, I have told enough. We shall soon write again, but for now I remain,

Your affectionate friend,

Charlotte Collins."

Darcy smiled when she finished reading. "I dare say Mrs Collins found a way to escape the nonsense of her husband and my aunt. Did you teach her?" Lizzy looked at him, confused. "Whatever do you mean, dear?"

"The witty comments in her letters. She escapes the daily nonsense in her life by making fun of it, just as you do." Lizzy smiled proudly. "Well, maybe I did not teach her, but she indeed has done a great job in this letter."

"But is it not wonderful, Charlotte with child? She will at least have a distraction in that horrible place."

Darcy smiled. "Yes, it is quite wonderful. Would you like to go to her to stay by her side during her confinement?"

Lizzy smiled, but that smile immediately faded again. "I would love that, but it cannot possibly be done. Lady Catherine would not tolerate it. And therefore, Mr Collins will not tolerate it."

Darcy smiled. "I might know a solution. Georgiana is very fond of Anne the Bourgh and they write each other with much interest and devotion. It would of course only be coincidence that you join Georgiana on her trip to Anne and that that trip is planned in the first weeks of February!"

Lizzy smiled as happily as ever. "But of course, Mr Darcy, how could you have thought that it was not coincidence!" She jumped up and hugged him tightly.

"I will write to Charlotte immediately!" she said, and was about to leave the library, when Darcy stopped her.

"You may, Sunshine, but you might want to leave out the part about Georgiana and Anne. You may want to seek their permission before Charlotte is expecting you. I dare say she has enough expecting to do for now!"

Lizzy laughed at his joke. "You are quite right, dear. I think I might leave that part out for just a while."

"Dearest Charlotte,

This is the most wonderful news, to be sure!

I wish I could do something to make your companions less aggravating, but I am sorry to say I have no idea how I could do that.

Do you have names yet, or is there no choice but Catherine or William?

I was very sorry to miss you at my wedding, but it has passed and I do not blame you.

My life at Pemberley is wonderful! I hope you can come in the summer, because I must have had you as my guest at Pemberley before your child has turned one!

In comparison to Rosings, I think Pemberley is bigger, but I cannot be sure. Maybe it just seems bigger to me!

Mr Darcy is lovely and Georgiana is so sweet. But I miss your company and I miss Jane. It is the small price I have to pay for my happy and fortunate life!

When you come next summer, I shall ride with you and your child through the grounds, so you can enjoy the air and see all the beauty Pemberley has to offer!

Dearest Charlotte, I hope your confinement will end well with a new addition to your life.

I hope I shall see you soon, but for now I remain,

Your affectionate friend,

Elizabeth Darcy."

When she finished her letter, she handed it to her lady maid to have it posted. She lay down on her sofa and spent the remainder of her time before dinner with happy thoughts about Charlotte and daydreams about children.

**Netherfield, day 11.**

When breakfast was finished, Bingley and Jane thought about an activity for the afternoon. "I do feel like a game of billiards." Bingley said. "But I do not know how to play, dearest… Or can one play billiards on his own?" Jane asked, wondering.

"It is your choice, dearest. Would you like me to teach you or would you rather watch me and keep me company?"

Jane grinned. "I would very much like to do both, dearest. I would like to keep you company and watch. And when I think I have a little idea of what to do, I would like you to teach me."

Bingley smiled. "Your wish is my command, dearest." And with that, they walked to the billiard room.

Jane had watched Bingley play for an hour or so, and she now felt confident enough to try it for herself. She stood up and walked over to Bingley. "Could you show me now, Charles?" Bingley smiled. "Of course!"

He showed her how to hold the cue and how to position her hands and body. He showed her which ball she should hit and which ball she should use to hit it. After more than two hours of practicing and slight adjustments and tips from Bingley, Jane wanted to play a match.

"Are you sure, dear?" Bingley asked hesitantly. "Yes, I am sure. But you must promise to go a little easy on me, dear." Bingley smiled. "I am only happy to promise that!"

They played a match and Bingley won. But Jane was not planning to quit without trying again, and so, after another match, Jane had won.

Jane smiled. "I can do it! I beat you, dearest!" Bingley smiled. "I can see that, dear. But you cannot stop now. I have to play another match with you. I must attempt to reclaim my manhood!" Jane laughed. "Your manhood? Pff, well, I you insist."

But Bingley had no luck in reclaiming his manhood. Jane won again.

After dinner, Bingley still was a little bit ashamed about the lost game. Jane went to him and kissed him on his cheek. "I have an idea, dear." She said. "What is that?"

"I know a way to cheer you up. However, this is not the place. It is an activity that people mostly do when they are in the privacy of their bedchambers." Bingley smiled as he took Jane's outstretched hand and walked with her to their bedchambers. He did not have another thought about the lost games at all.

**Pemberley, day 12.**

When they were thinking about something to do in the afternoon, Darcy voiced his desire to go hunting. Lizzy decided to walk along with him.

When they were quite far from Pemberley House, Lizzy saw the 'play-oak' again. She smiled and asked Darcy if she was right. "Indeed you are, Sunshine."

"Dearest?" "Yes?" "What was Georgiana's childhood like? I mean.. Well.. Having no mother and all." Darcy smiled at this question, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"She dealt with it wonderfully. Maybe that was because she never knew what it was like to have a mother, maybe because she has such a high-spirited character. She was always happy as a child, always willing to help someone from the staff carrying something, for instance. And she always had energy to play. Sometimes she had so much energy that she drove me crazy, but she was never tired, it seemed."

Lizzy smiled. "It sounds like she has not changed at all. At least, not among relatives and close friends." Darcy smiled too, the sadness disappearing. "Yes, you are quite right. She is the same, but with more class and education."

"Did I hear proudness, Mr Darcy?" Lizzy said, mocking. "Yes, you did hear proudness, Mrs Darcy!" He said, and he kissed her.

**Netherfield, day 12.**

After breakfast, Jane and Bingley went to the drawing room to have tea and sit in front of a roaring fire, for it was beginning to get cold, even inside the house.

When Jane rang the bell for a servant some time later and asked for a cup of hot chocolate, Bingley smiled in fond memories.

"You know, dear. Hot chocolate reminds me of the winters in Town, with my Sisters." Jane smiled. "Tell me, I would love to hear a story about your childhood!"

Bingley nodded and smiled. "When our governess had taken us outside to get some exercise and fresh air, we always got hot chocolate as a treat if we had behaved ourselves. My Sisters and I would watch each other's behaviour very closely, so we could blame someone if we did not hot chocolate after our walk."

Jane smiled. "Lovely. So you were very close to your Sisters once?" Bingley smiled a little sadly. "Yes, we were close, but it all ended when Louisa became a woman and entered society. Not long after that, Caroline entered society too, and I was the only child in the family."

Bingley shook up from his other memories. "But tell me, dearest. What about your childhood?" Jane smiled. "I remember when Lydia was born, I think I was six years old at the time and Lizzy was four years old. We went upstairs together to see our new Sister and Papa lift me and Lizzy up to watch Lydia. And I was so proud to be the big Sister of all my cute baby Sisters."

Bingley smiled. "And I take it you are still proud of being their big Sister?" Jane laughed. "Well, yes. To some extend of course. I am not proud of all the mistakes Lydia has made, but I am proud in general."

Jane and Bingley entertained each other the rest of the afternoon with funny childhood stories and memories.

**Pemberley, day 13.**

Lizzy woke up to see Darcy watching her. "_Mr_ Darcy, you are doing it again." "What am I doing exactly?" He asked nonchalantly. "You are staring, Sir. I will not have it!" She said mockingly.

"You are insulting me, Madam. Staring, Puh!" He said, and he turned his back to her, faking an angry voice. Lizzy got up and hugged her husband from behind. "Well, alright. You may stare at me." Darcy turned his head to kiss her. "Very good, Madam."

They took another hour to cuddle and have fun, but then their bellies started to protest. They got dressed and went down to have some lunch.

Lizzy was pleasantly surprised when the letter from Jane arrived. She immediately went to Mr Darcy's study to read it and write a reply.

"Dearest Lizzy,

Oh, I miss you so much too. Even though I have Mr Bingley and my parents and other sisters nearby, I miss you. You always understand me, no matter what it is about.

So, it will come to no surprise that Mr Bingley and I accept your proposal for an early trip into Derbyshire! If all goes well, we will be at Pemberley on the 7th of December. I can scarce wait for it!

You are absolutely not an ungrateful creature, it is only natural to miss ones family. I am happy to hear that Mr Darcy is so kind to you and Georgiana will soon keep you company.

I have the company of our mother, although I have told her to respect our privacy during our honeymoon. I felt awful at first, but now I have peace with it. Charles and I have had the best two days since our mother's last visit, so I am actually a little glad that I told her. But no, now I am an ungrateful creature!

Well, as you can read, everything at Netherfield and Longbourn is peaceful.

I will see you very soon and I will await your next letter.

Your affectionate Sister,

Jane Bingley."

Lizzy smiled and thought about her mother. _'I would have done the same in Jane's position. But I think I would have said something sooner. Oh Jane…'_

She shook up from her thoughts as the dinner bell rang. _'Oh, dear! Dinner! Well, I will write a reply after dinner, then.'_ Lizzy thought, as she stood up and walked to the dining room.

**Netherfield, day 13.**

Jane and Bingley had no desire whatsoever to come out of their bedchamber before lunch. They were much too occupied to think about normal things such as breakfast.

But around lunchtime, their roaring bellies won and they rose for lunch. After that they settled in the drawing room. Jane with her knitting, Bingley with a book.

"Dearest, how do you know which colour to use in your knitting?" Bingley asked Jane, who was passionately knitting little pink socks. Jane smiled. "I would really like to have a girl. No, I would like to have two girls. So they can be just as close as Lizzy and I are."

Bingley smiled. "Yes, I would like that very much too. But I would also like having a boy. So I can go shooting with him when he is older. And I could teach him how to keep young men away from his sisters, so I would not have to worry about doing that on my own."

Jane laughed. "Keeping young men away from his sisters? What if I would have had a brother with such instructions from my father? I think we would not even have been married!"

Charles grinned. "Well, yes. In that case, I am glad that you do not have a brother!" At which Jane laughed and got up to kiss him.

Soon, dinner was ready. Jane took a little of every dish available, it was all delicious. After dinner, they went to their bedchambers again.

They talked a little more about their hopes and dreams for a family and went to sleep short after that, only to dream of little feet with all ten toes attached.

**Pemberley, day 14.**

After breakfast, Lizzy and Darcy decided to go horse riding. Darcy showed Lizzy yet another part of the vast grounds of Pemberley. They rode for a long time, and Lizzy was quite in raptures over the beautiful landscapes she saw.

When they returned to the house, it was far past lunchtime and Lizzy and Darcy could feel it, they were hungry.

After lunch, they settled down in the drawing room with tea and a book. Lizzy looked up when she heard a maid say her name. "Mrs Darcy, a letter just arrived." Lizzy took the letter and smiled. "Thank you."

"Dear!" Darcy looked up, startled by her yelp. "What?" Lizzy laughed at his reaction. "Oh, I am sorry, dear. It is just, it is Georgiana's reply to my letter!"

Darcy smiled. "What does she write?" Lizzy got up to kiss him. "Shall I read it aloud again?" Darcy grinned. "If you please.."

"Dearest Elizabeth,

It is wonderful to hear that you like Pemberley! I am sure we will have great fun together, once I am there.

I am so happy that you approve of my plan to take Miss Fairfax with me! She is quite happy at the prospect of Christmas at Pemberley!

And you should not be so hard on yourself, dear Elizabeth, for I am sure that you are the best Sister someone could wish for! Your question about your Sister Kitty only proves that.

Of course, she must come early, I would very much like to meet her properly. And she could help us with the planning too! What a merry party we will be together!

As we will most likely already be on our way when you receive this letter, it would be a waste of your time to write back, but I will hear all the news when we arrive on the 15th!

With much love and regard,

Georgiana Darcy."

Lizzy smiled when she finished reading and so did Darcy. "She writes so passionately, it makes me so enthusiastic!" Lizzy said. "Yes, I know. She is always quite enthusiastic." Lizzy grinned. "I love that about her."

"But well, if there's no point in writing to Georgiana, I shall write to Kitty instead, to inform her of the arrangement. She can come this way with Jane and Mr Bingley." Darcy smiled over the cleverness of his wife. "Indeed, that is a very good idea, Sunshine."

Lizzy went to Darcy's study and sat down behind his desk.

"Dear Kitty,

I write to ask you if you would like to come to Pemberley a little earlier than our other Christmas quests. Georgiana and I, as well as Georgiana's friend Miss Fairfax and Jane, would like it very much if you would want to help us planning the Pemberley Christmas-party!

When you have seen Pemberley, you will understand why such a big planning-committee is required!

Jane and Mr Bingley will come this way on the 3rd or 4th of December and will arrive here on the 7th of December. I do not think they will object to taking you with them, especially if you show them this letter.

I am looking forward to your reply, but for now I remain,

Your devoted Sister,

Elizabeth Darcy."

Lizzy got up and handed the letter to a servant to have it posted. She then went looking for her husband, to spend the remainder of the day with.

**Netherfield, day 14.**

Jane and Bingley were happy. They loved to be in each other's presence and they liked to talk about their lives before they got married and what might come next now that they were married.

But all that happiness faded for a bit, when a servant came in while they were having lunch and announced the arrival of Mrs Bennet.

Jane was mortified. _'Oh no! Our last day in maybe a long time that we can be utterly alone. And here is my mother again!' _

Bingley was just as surprised and a bit angry. (However much against his character.) _'She is really insufferable! I had almost forgot about Mrs Bennet these past days, but yet here she is again!'_

When the servant left again, Jane looked Bingley in the eye. "I am so sorry, my dear. I thought I had made it clear to her what we wished." "Well, we can see that she did not entirely take in your message, is it not?" Bingley could not help but sounding a bit bitter.

At this, Jane got tears in her eyes. When Bingley say this, he immediately slapped himself in his mind and hugged Jane. "I am so sorry, dear, I did not mean that. It is just, I was looking forward to a last, peaceful day together."

Jane smiled through her tears. "I know, dearest. So did I."

They rose from their seats to go to the drawing room, where Mrs Bennet was waiting.

After dinner, when Mrs Bennet finally went back to Longbourn, Jane and Bingley sat in the drawing room with tea.

"Jane?" Jane looked up from the fire, at which she had been staring and smiled. "Yes, Charles?" Bingley hesitated. "I… Ehh… I wanted to talk to you again about… About moving house."

"But dear, we have gone over this, there is no reason why we should move house. And where would we go? I do not wish to live in London all year."

Bingley smiled faintly, glad that she stayed calm. "Well, dear, I have thought about that. You want to see Lizzy more often, is it not? But since Netherfield and Pemberley are so far apart, it is quite impossible for you to see your sister regularly."

A small smile grew on Jane's lips. "I think I can see where you are going, Charles. Indeed, you are right. I would like to see Lizzy more often. But I do have to think about this. Will you please give me some time to do so?"

Charles grinned and walked over to her chair to kiss her. "Yes, I will give you some time, dear."

**Next up:**

**Chapter 5: Miss Georgiana is back!**

**A/N:** Oh, am I glad that this chapter is done! You have NO idea how much effort I put into getting this chapter finished! I had major writer's block, which I explained earlier, but I think it just has to do with this chapter alone. I can only hope that from now on I will be able to write and update regularly. I hope you like it and please **review!**

xxx

~Mrs Nomau


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